The massive bulk of Mount Kenya straddles the Equator yet is permanently crowned with snow.
The 588 km²  National Park, surrounded by 2000 km² of Forest Reserve, is dominated by the twin summits of Batian (5,199 m) and
Nelion (5,188 m) whose jagged snow-capped peaks are all that remain of a gigantic volcanic lava plug that once thrust another 300 meters into the sky.
The Mount Kenya Forest Reserve is the largest forest reserve and water supply in Kenya and features magnificent stands of buttressed and lichen-draped juniper, Podocarpus and African olive trees whose dense canopy provides the ideal habitat for vast herds of buffalo and elephant as well as a bright kaleidoscope of birds and other wildlife.